GPS devices are routing traffic through my neighborhood. What should I do?

I lost my mobile phone/device. Can GPS help me find it?

We recommend you contact your wireless carrier. They may be able to track down your phone/device using the location technology built into it.

Please be aware that the GPS satellites themselves do not track anything on the ground. They are simply beacons, like lighthouses, broadcasting one-way reference signals. Therefore, the government operators of GPS cannot locate your phone/device.

Are GPS jamming devices legal?

How vulnerable is GPS to malicious jamming? Could a terrorist with a GPS jammer cause airplanes to crash?

Like all radio-based services, GPS is subject to interference from both natural and human-made sources. A GPS unit can lose reception in the presence of devices designed for intentional radio jamming. Solar flares can also disrupt GPS equipment. For this reason, the U.S. government strongly encourages all GPS users to maintain backup/alternative positioning, navigation, and timing capabilities. In addition, the government is currently fielding new GPS signals that are more resistant to interference.

Commercial aircraft that use GPS are required to maintain alternative means of navigation. If intentional jamming were directed against aircraft, the pilots would revert to other sensors and ground-based navigation aids. Air traffic control would continue to provide surveillance services and ensure aircraft separation.

Is it true the Air Force doesn't want to use GPS in the future because of its vulnerabilities?

The Air Force is fully committed to continuing its operation and use of GPS in the future. The ongoing GPS modernization program will enhance the jam resistance of the military GPS service, making it more robust. At the same time, the Department of Defense is making prudent investments in alternative positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) technologies to supplement GPS in times when satellite services are unavailable. This will ensure that future troops have continuous, uninterrupted access to PNT under the most challenging conditions.

Has the United States ever turned off GPS for military purposes?

No. Since it was declared operational in 1995, the Global Positioning System has never been deactivated, despite U.S. involvement in wars, anti-terrorism, and other military activities.

Millions of users around the world have been monitoring and recording real-time GPS performance on a continuous basis since its inception. If the civilian GPS service had ever been interrupted by its operators, the evidence would be obvious and widespread. No such evidence exists.

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This page was last modified on March 6, 2018.
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